United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-09-26 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:RCED-94-158 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-158 P0b002ee180386c9b f:rc94158 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-158 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-158 RCED-94-158 Contaminated foods Consumer protection Quality assurance Statistical methods Food inspection Meat packing industry Hazardous substances Pesticide regulation Product safety Agricultural chemicals USDA National Residue Program USDA Compound Evaluation System USDA Residue Violation Information System USDA Meat and Poultry Inspection Program FDA Contamination Response System FSIS Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System Beef Quality Assurance Program Chapter Report RCED

The Agriculture Department's National Residue Program, which monitors chemical residues in meat and poultry, has weaknesses in testing and sampling as well as in the support it receives from regulatory agencies. The Agriculture Department does not adjust its testing of imported meat and poultry in response to known problems with heavy metal residues or animal drug and pesticide compounds not allowed in the United States but used by exporting nations. Thus, the Agriculture Department does not know the extent to which potentially harmful residues may or not affect the meat and poultry supply. In addition, because thousands of agricultural chemicals and new compounds are introduced annually, the Agriculture Department may not always have complete information on chemical residues or the potential hazard such residues may present to consumers. These weaknesses could be overcome if some processes were strengthened. Any improvements made, however, would not address the basic problem with the program: reliance on detecting residues at the end of the production process to ensure safety rather than on preventing these problems from occurring in the first place. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-158/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-158.htm GAO/RCED-94-158 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-158 Chapter Report GAO/RCED-94-158; Food Safety: USDA's Role Under the National Residue Program Should Be Reevaluated; Contaminated foods Consumer protection Quality assurance Statistical methods Food inspection Meat packing industry Hazardous substances Pesticide regulation Product safety Agricultural chemicals USDA National Residue Program USDA Compound Evaluation System USDA Residue Violation Information System USDA Meat and Poultry Inspection Program FDA Contamination Response System FSIS Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System Beef Quality Assurance Program Title 5 Section 553 5 U.S.C. 553 Title 7 Section 136et seq. Title 7 Section 450 7 U.S.C. 136et seq. 7 U.S.C. 450 Title 21 Section 301et seq. Title 21 Section 451et seq. Title 21 Section 601 21 U.S.C. 301et seq. 21 U.S.C. 451et seq. 21 U.S.C. 601 Title 42 Section 300get seq. Title 42 Section 4821et seq. Title 42 Section 7545 42 U.S.C. 300get seq. 42 U.S.C. 4821et seq. 42 U.S.C. 7545